A request without the word "please"
In English politeness leans on the word please. In Kazakh it sits in the ending. The bare stem of the verb is what you say to a friend. The polite request grows out of it with -ñyz or -ñiz. For example: “Бір келі алма беріңізші” — A kilogram of apples, please. A rule from the Kazakh course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
In English politeness leans on the word please. In Kazakh it sits in the ending. The bare stem of the verb is what you say to a friend. The polite request grows out of it with -ñyz or -ñiz.
Kel is come. Keliñiz is please come. Shaqyr is call him; shaqyryñyz is please call him. Nothing has to be added, and the request already sounds respectful.
One more tail is the most useful of all here: -shy. It translates as nothing and makes a request warm, almost homely. Beriñizşi is give me, said so that the seller smiles.
A prohibition uses the same pieces plus the familiar -ma or -me: ustamañyz, do not touch; barmañyz, do not go.
Table
| To whom we speak | The ending | kel- (to come) → ... |
|---|---|---|
| sen | the bare root | kel |
| sender | -ñder / -yñdar | keliñder |
| siz | -ñiz / -yñyz | keliñiz |
| sizder | -ñizder / -yñyzdar | keliñizder |
| a soft request | + -shy / -şi | keliñizşi |
By example
- Бір келі алма беріңізшіA kilogram of apples, please
- Шебер шақырыңызCall the repairman
- Мұнда тұрмаңызDo not stand here
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
A request without the word "please": how does it work in Kazakh?
In English politeness leans on the word please. In Kazakh it sits in the ending. The bare stem of the verb is what you say to a friend. The polite request grows out of it with -ñyz or -ñiz.
What does it look like in an example sentence Kazakh?
“Бір келі алма беріңізші” — A kilogram of apples, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.